


Love in the Time of War

by fadedmeanings



Category: Everlark - Fandom, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: 1940s, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - World War II, F/M, Historical References, War time, World War II, mentions of Mr. Everdeen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-07-19 03:25:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7342735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fadedmeanings/pseuds/fadedmeanings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Don’t worry little duck, I don’t think war will reach this side of the world.” Katniss added trying to ease her sister’s concern.<br/>“But what if it does, what will happen to Rory or Gale… or Peeta?” Prim asked her eyes sad.<br/>A chill sank in her bones, and she stopped short, breathless. She thought of them dressed in an army uniform. She thought of the trenches of the Great War her father used to tell stories about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! The title is a reference to Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel Love in the Time of Cholera. As you've probably already read this is an WW II AU set in the U.S. No beta. Comments are appreciated!

_October 1941_

Katniss tightened her arms around herself wrapping her wide lapel coat around her. Autumn had started with a cold burst of icy wind. This did not seem to stop anyone present at the Harvest Festival. The square of her little mining town was brimming with people. The place emanated the scent of roasted game, and the sounds of merry children playing in every booth. The sun was setting in the background, streaks of orange and pink in the sky. Prim had been so excited to attend, that it was hard for her to refuse being her chaperone, as her mother was once again indisposed.

“Come on Katniss,” Prim said as she found another booth of her fancy. She grabbed her arm and half-dragged her to the booth.

Her feet ached, they had been walking for almost two hours. Her sturdy stacked heels pinched her toes with every step. Prim seemed unaffected by the icy wind, her tight blond curls barely moved in the wind beneath her hat and her coat was unbuttoned.

Katniss aimed the beanbag and threw it with a swift movement hitting the bull's eye on the first try.

“We’ve got a winner!” the portly man in charge of the booth called out.

Katniss let Prim choose her prize, a light blue teddy bear with brown buttons for eyes. Suddenly the band started in the center of the square and the dance began. Katniss turned her head, her tight dark curls bouncing with the movement. Prim’s face lighted up, and Katniss gave her a look. She groaned.

“Prim, we should start heading home.” Katniss said carefully.

“Katniss, please!” Prim begged “ I’ve never been to a dance, and you’re eighteen and you’ve never been either!”

Before Katniss could put her foot down on the matter she was again convinced follow behind her sister.

“You’ve barely turned fourteen!” She called trying to catch up “ We won’t stay long!”

The light in the sky was fading and the lights above the dance floor twinkled like stars.

“Look it’s Gale!” Prim said with a soft whisper. “He’s dancing with Madge the Mayor’s daughter.”

Gale looked up at Katniss nodding his head in her direction. Madge waved, giving them a toothy-grin, ‘red-lipped with a matching red A-line skirt. They twirled around to the sound of the catchy beat.

“I thought he was your guy.” Prim continued.

“He’s just a friend, and good at bartering.” Katniss said shaking her head. She has seen him around her mother’s makeshift apothecary shop, the kitchen counter in their small home of the Seam. Katniss usually helps out selling and finding the herbs, she’s no use as a healer.  He’s older than her a year and works at the mines like any boy without a trade.

She thinks her fate would have been similar, but her mother forbid her to work in the mines. Besides, they seldom take on women, since they needed strong men in the dark mines. Her mother instead insisted she should finish high school. Now she has a diploma, but no sign of a proper job anytime soon.

Suddenly Rory was in front of them, his wide lapel suit jacket fit him loose and the wool was worn. No doubt a hand-me-down from his older brother. His hair was neatly combed under his hat as he tipped it.

“Would you like to dance this piece with me?” He said expectantly as he extended his hand to Prim.

Prim looked up at Katniss, asking silently for her permission. Her blue eyes lit up with excitement. Katniss nodded, and Prim gladly accepted.

She shed her coat and hat giving them to Katniss for safekeeping. She twirled around in her own light blue dress with a matching bow in her hair as Rory led her across the dance floor.

Katniss sighed, she told mother they would be back by sundown. She could never say no to Prim and now she was stuck on coat duty when she could be sitting by the fire at home. She never had much interest for these dances, in fact she didn't even attend her own graduation dance. She walked towards some nearby chairs and plopped herself in one. A burst of relief flooded her, she wished she could take these shoes off.

“Not much for dances are you?” said a voice to her left.

She looked over her shoulder and there was Peeta Mellark, his curly blond hair combed back in a similar fashion as most young men. He sat down next to her, his new wool suit hid his stocky build.

He smiled at her a boyish grin. Expectant. Suddenly she found her voice again. “No, not much.” She agreed.

Peeta Mellark had been in her class since they were five, but she had never paid much attention to him. Or so she thought, nevermind that she knew he was a good wrestler, he had two older brothers, and he was the baker’s boy.  

There was an awkward silence between them as Katniss followed Prim on the dancefloor with her eyes from her seat.

“You look very pretty tonight.” Peeta said.

Katniss turned to him again her face eyebrows contorted in confusion. She almost wanted to scowl, but she kept her face as expressionless as she could.  Nobody had ever told her that, but she didn't say that.

“Thank you.” Katniss responded looking down at her own navy colored skirt that peeked over her coat.

“W-Would you like to dance?” He blurted out after a pause.

“ I don't really know how.” Katniss half fibbed, she understood the rudimentary moves but she was afraid she had no rhythm.

“It doesn't matter, I'll show you.” Peeta stood up and extended his hand.

She hesitated for half a second. Then she proceeded to shed her coat and hat leaving it next to Prim’s in the chair.

She took his hand and he put his other hand on her waist as she laid it her other hand on his shoulder.

The band started with another number. This one had a much slower beat. She swayed to the beat, glad that she didn’t have to make such a fool of herself and Peeta led her around the dancefloor. He twirled her once, twice and back again where she started. She could feel her the corners of her lips turn into a smile. She caught the eyes of Prim in the dance floor, her eyes wide as saucers. She smiled at her as she turned back to Rory. She looked at Peeta who was flashing another of his boyish smiles.

After the number ended she started back towards the chair she left her coat. Peeta followed closely behind.

“Wait!” he called “ Would you stay for another dance? Or maybe I could buy you a drink.”

“I have to go.” Katniss said as she pushed her arm through the sleeve of her coat. “I’m already late.”

“It was nice seeing you again Katniss,” Peeta said trying to hide his disappointment as she put on her hat and buttoned her coat. The sky was now dark and the wind had stopped but the air was still very much cold.

“Prim!” she called almost impatiently, “We need to go.”

Prim responded to her sister’s calls by walking towards her after saying her goodbye to Rory. Prim grabbed her coat and Katniss took her arm and led her away hurriedly through an empty alley towards the Seam. She looked over her shoulder to look at Peeta who was standing in around dancing couples at the edge of the dance floor, his blonde hair glistened under the twinkling lights.  

The wind picked up again sending a shiver down her spine.

“What happened with Peeta?” Prim asked as she struggled to keep her sister’s pace. She didn’t understand what all the rush was about.

“Nothing.” Katniss replied cuttingly.

The wind carried a piece of newspaper that got caught in her leg. She stopped to grab it, taking a look at the front page’s headline.  

_FDR Grants Russia Billion Lease-Lend Aid_

“Do you think the war will be over soon?” Prim asked as she read the excerpt over her shoulder.

“I think it has just deepened. We should stay out of it, the depression is still present, we don’t need more young men dead.” Katniss replied.

In her little mining town the tendrils of the economic depression were still ever present. The mine had closed down and had not been opened until two years ago. The people from the Seam suffered the most, and many families starved. In those harsh years, her mother only received emaciated children wanting more than the thin stale bread her mother provided. They barely had any money, only enough to eat. Only when FDR’s plan came through did her mother find a job as a nurse in the hospital in the next town. They have been living plainly, but at least Prim can buy a new dress every year. With her foraging of the nearby woods and her mother’s services as a healer, they make enough to cover any other costs. Most are not lucky enough.

“Don’t worry little duck, I don’t think the war will reach this side of the world.” Katniss added trying to ease her sister’s concern.

“But what if it does, what will happen to Rory or Gale… or Peeta?” Prim asked her eyes sad.

A chill sank in her bones, and she stopped short, breathless. She thought of them dressed in an army uniform. She thought of the trenches of the Great War her father used to tell stories about.

“No, little duck, I think we’re safe.” Katniss smiled as they hurried down the road towards the rundown shack they called home.


	2. Between Crossroads

_ December 8th, 1941 _

Young women her age only had two options, or really only one option. You could get a job, especially if you weren’t well off and find a husband, or well just find a husband. Easy, just skip the first step she thought as she collected firewood in the forest which crept into her backyard. If she was that kind of woman. 

One step too much and you could find yourself surrounded by trees and birds, but the birds were gone and the small animals of the forest were hibernating. The trees were bare, and the air was sharp against her cheeks. She trembled under her coat as her teeth chattered. The coal had run out, and she knew they wouldn’t be able to afford any until her mother got paid. 

The morning had been cold and the ground received another layer of snow that night. She walked back with the wet firewood she had found, her feet crushing the new layer of snow with every step. She opened the door quickly and closes it, trying to let the warm air linger for a while as she dumps the wood next to the fireplace kneeling to build a new fire with what little she could find. 

Prim sat in the kitchen table eating the leftover stew they dined on yesterday. A lady had traded them rabbit stew for a painkilling herb she found deep in the forest. How she managed to get her hands on any meat was beyond Katniss, but she really appreciated the warm bowl at her fingertips. 

“Do you want any?” Prim asked Katniss as she yawned “It’s still warm.” 

“Don’t mind if I do.” Katniss replied as she brought out her own bowl from the cupboard and served herself from the pot in the old stove. 

She didn’t remove her coat as she still felt cold, but she tried not to shiver. She sipped on the broth letting it sink into her stomach. She felt the warmth seep into her veins and sighed. 

“Where’s mother?” Katniss asked. 

“She went to the grocer’s, she said she would be back as fast as possible.” Prim replied as she looked down at her plate. 

“Is Mr. Filcher just going to give us free food?” Katniss asked a tone of anger already present in her voice.

“No Katniss,” Prim replied a hint of exasperation in her voice. “She’s going to ask him if he will let her pay after she gets paid.” 

“She knows I don’t like begging, why does she do this?” Katniss asked. 

“We don’t have much left, we have to do what we can.” Prim responded. 

They have been over this so many times, but that didn’t stop Katniss from bringing it up again every time. She hated to see her mother beg for them, but she also hated to see her sister starve. She didn’t know what caused her more rage, but she did know she could do nothing about the matter now. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by her mother’s entrance as she quickly set the two paper bags in the kitchen counter. She hurriedly brought out a newspaper and went over to her daughters who were both sitting at the table. 

“Look, Look!” her mother said almost yelling as she unfolded the newspaper. 

Katniss leaned over and read the newspaper’s biggest headline printed in big black letters.

_ 1500 Dead in Hawaii Congress Votes War  _

“We’re at war!” Prim exclaimed her eyes wide as she leaned in closer to the newspaper. 

Katniss sat back in her chair, her mind blank as she took a deep breath. 

“What’s going to happen now?” Katniss whispered, to herself.

“I’d expect the president will be on the radio tonight.” her mother said as she went about storing her groceries in her pantry. “The military is most likely assembling right now, and no doubt drafting will start in a few weeks. One can only hope this one isn’t as bad as the other one.”  

“What a dreadful thing!” Prim exclaimed “ To leave home not knowing if you’ll be back.” 

She helped her mother put up the groceries as she shook her head. 

Katniss remembered her stew and continued to eat, but the little joy she kept had all but swept away from her. This declaration seemed to serve as the start of something out of her control. So many of her generation would have to rise to fight this war. 

_ Peeta. She thought. _

Later that day, the sky was dark and the wind was blowing, this time it seemed to howl from the small living room of her little shack, from the windows you could see the snowflakes were collecting into the ground creating another layer of fresh snow. 

They were finishing up the dishes after dinner, the day still eerily normal, as if the war was yet a vague and abstract concept, something that did not involve or concerned them. 

After they had finished they all sat down in the living room. Katniss had stood up to add more firewood to the fire that was warming up the living room with a nice orange glow. She heard some scratches at the door, and a small meow. 

Prim stood up with glee as she called out, “Buttercup!”

She almost ran to the front door and let the little ugly creature in. His paws were wet, but when he saw Prim he almost seemed to look glad. He shivered and his muddy coat was stiff. 

“The poor thing, he must be freezing.” Prim said as she wrapped him in the throw blanket they kept on the couch. 

“Then he shouldn’t have gone far.” Katniss answered as Prim set him in the old couch and stepped into the kitchen.

Her mother only gave a small laugh as she looked up from a book she borrowed from a coworker in the hospital. 

Prim came back with scraps she’d saved for him, he ate rapidly, from his little bowl not moving from his spot in the couch only to make room for the plate. 

“He’s a bad hunter, and also spoiled.” Katniss retorted as she smiled at the old cat.

“Leave him alone Katniss, he’s had a rough day.” Prim said sweetly as she pet Buttercup. 

“Haven’t well all?” Katniss said as Prim’s smile faded. 

Reality had hit them all after all. 

That night they all went to bed in their freezing little home, even though the fire still crackled in the darkness. Katniss went to bed uneasy, the realization of the day’s event still lingered on her. 

One thought kept coming back to her what should she do now? What could she do? Now all she could do is find a job. She needed to help her family.

Her mind wandered back to Peeta the thought of him in a military uniform. It made her skin crawl. 

She fell asleep thinking of her father who was only a young man of nineteen when he fought in the Western Front. 

Her mother said he was never the same after he came back from the war.

* * *

The next morning was snowy as the previous day, although today it seemed to be more insistent. She rose early and instead of going into the forest, she found herself in the square. The path of the main road was being cleared and she walked carefully trying to be careful not to slip on ice. She stopped across the street from the bakery from the big windows she could see the pastries and cakes and in the counter she could see Peeta helping a customer. She crossed the street and entered the bakery. She sighed as she entered the warmth of the bakery.

She pretended to browse until it was just her and Peeta. 

“Can I help you with anything?” He said as he moved over the counter in his white apron. 

“I was just looking.” She answered. 

“Have you heard?... of… of the war?” She stumbled with her words. 

“Yes.” Peeta responded nodding. “ It was just a matter of time.” 

“Are you... going to enlist?” She asked wringing her hands. 

“Of course.” Peeta said “I have to make my own path, I’m the third son, the youngest, and even my older brothers will be enlisting.” 

Her breath caught in her throat. She walked hurriedly towards the door and tried to escape before she did anything stupid. 

“Wait!” he called, but another customer entered and Peeta had to suppress the instinct to run after her.  

She rushed out her coat trailing in the wind. The fog of her breath rising as she put one foot in front of the other as fast as she could without running. She felt a blossoming feeling of dread spread from her chest to sink in her bones. She couldn’t explain it. The effect he had on her, even though they barely knew each other, even though they only spent years in the background of each other’s lives. 

As she walked towards home she was stopped by an older woman in a navy blue coat and a matching hat. Her red lips smiled as she handed her a pamphlet. 

“Might you by any chance be looking for a nice job, young lady?” The woman asked.

Her grey curls were arranged in an up-do under her hat. Her light grey eyes were highlighted by the snow that seemed to surround her. 

“I’m Alma Coin, I’m looking for girls who want an honest job working for the munitions industry. Now that the guys will be out in the fronts we need strong girls just like you.” She said, “It’s in the next city over.” 

“Thank you.” Katniss replied as she opened the pamphlet. “I will look into it.” 

“All the information is there including the exact address, just remember to ask for Alma Coin, they’ll direct you. Nice meeting you.” She said as she extended her hand to shake hers. 

“Katniss.” Katniss said as she tried to smile. “Katniss Everdeen.” 

She walked home, with the pamphlet in hand, maybe this was a signal, this was the opportunity she had been waiting for. She wouldn’t let this opportunity pass her over. She didn’t have any sort of future for her here, not now anyway. 

* * *

The week she was set to start her job at the munitions factory came by in a flash. After the initial interview, she was offered a job, and today she was at the train station. All set with her suitcase and her coat tightly wrapped around her, in the middle of December. It had stopped snowing, but the bitter cold still seeped into her bones. Prim’s cheeks were turning a rosy color.  Her mother hugged her as she tried to hold back her tears. 

“You take care, sweetheart.” She said her voice shaky. 

Katniss only nodded. 

“Katniss!” Prim exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around her older sister. “I’m going to miss you very much. Be careful.” 

She looked at her, she was flowering into a beautiful young lady. She wasn’t that little duck anymore. 

“Don’t worry, little duck. I’ll be fine.” Katniss answered. 

The train station was full of men in their olive colored military drab. Young recruits mostly, setting off to train and join the war effort. She would be the first stop, but they had a long way to go, to the capital of her state to join other recruits. 

After final redundant goodbyes she went stepped onto the train and found her seat. Along the crowded station she could see a head of blonde hair that peeked out front the throng of heads. 

The train’s whistle blowed a deep repeated toot, and suddenly she opened the window and waved.  Her mother and sister waved back as they grew farther and farther away from her, until they were completely gone from her. Now the only thing she could see in front of her was a vast empty field of frosty snow.

She sat in her seat as she stared out the window. The people in her carriage had all but gone up and about, but she stayed. There was a man reading a newspaper in another seat across the aisle, but other than that she was alone with her thoughts. Suddenly the seat right next to hers found itself occupied. It was Peeta, dressed in an his military uniform. 

“It’s not that impressive at the moment.” he said as she looked at him. 

“What?” She asked. 

“My uniform.” He replied as he smiled at her, his blue eyes shining in the pale sunlight of the morning. 

“I think you look quite dashing, either way.” She replied.

“You do?” He asked, flashing another of his boyish smiles. “Miss Everdeen, it’s kind a bit stuffy in here would you like to take some fresh air?” 

“Why, I would very much like that.” She said following his cue. 

They stepped out of the train, wind moving her dark curls about. She looked at the tracks the way they seemed to bend and unwind with the movement of the train. 

They stood side by side, silent for a minute looking at the fields of white snow and how the sunlight hit them. 

“You’re going off then?” She asked. “ Off to war.” 

“Yes” He answered. “ What about you? Where are you off to?” Peeta asked. 

“I’m starting a job in the munitions factory. It’s a good opportunity.” She said. “The pay isn’t too bad.” 

“Katniss,” He said in a softer tone, “I needed you to tell me something,” He shifted closer to her until their bodies were close, too close. 

“Why did you run out like that that day in the bakery?” He looked down at her, his body overwhelming her, he was bigger than her and she felt herself surrounded by him.

“Because….because.” She started, but she found no explanation for her actions. All this time she didn’t find herself brave enough to open that box. 

Now she was here with the train moving steadily and her curls and coat that moved with the wind in the pale morning of a day in December. The day her life would change not only for her, but for Peeta. Their paths had crossed so many times, but this time it seemed to take them in different directions. 

He was so close to her, his blue eyes observing her every move, she seemed to shrink in their presence. Her heart was beating faster than she imagined as he moved in closer. 

She moved in to close the gap between their mouths and he wrapped her arms around her, shielding her from the cold. She put her arms around his neck, bringing him even closer. 

His lips were soft and warm. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some liberty with somethings on the historical part soooo, my bad!


	3. A Different Kind of Uniform

_ She was back at home, the house was quiet and empty. The wind was blowing through the open windows, the white curtains moved along to the dance of the wind. The air was warm and nice, she crept silently, the house illuminated by the sunset’s glow, created shadows. The faded hardwood floor creaked as she took another step, she noticed a shadow and searched with her eyes to find its owner. She followed the trail to her dining table. There she saw Peeta who sat in in her seat at the small wooden table, a mug of coffee right in front of him. He didn’t look up at her, there he sat transfixed on his newspaper that was spread out before him.  _

_ She stepped forward again, this time stopping right in front of the table.  _

_ “Peeta.” She said softly.  _

_ His name on her lips seemed to end his trance and he looked up. He cocked his head and smiled.  _

_ “Katniss, you’re here early.” He replied.  _

_ He put his newspaper down, closing it to the front page. The newspaper’s biggest headline read:  _

_ 1500 Dead in Hawaii Congress Votes War  _

_ Her eyes grew wide, a uneasy feeling spread through her. She stepped back slowly. The wind suddenly picked up, the curtains flapped wildly around them. Peeta didn’t seem to notice, he took a sip of his coffee. Suddenly, the ground seemed to quiver and shake. She saw the mug slip from his grasp and break, black liquid bursting into the floor with a loud crack.  _

_ “Peeta.” She said again, this time concerned.  _

_ “Katniss.” Peeta said again, smiling as he spinned her.  _

_ This time, she was back in the dance floor of the festival. There she danced in the icy wind of October, with her navy skirt flowing as she kept spinning.  _

_ His hands were warm where they touched her. His smile was intoxicating, his lips rosy.  _

_ “Oh,” She breathed as the rest of the world receded and there was only the sound of the music and the touch of his hand.  _

_ She stopped spinning suddenly, she looked around. Peeta was gone. He was nowhere to be found. Her face fell, her happiness burst like soap bubbles.  _

Her eyes opened. It was just a dream she thought. She pulled herself in a sitting position on her bed. 

“It was just a dream.” She reassured herself, whispering softly. 

She looked at her roommate and fellow co-worker, Johanna was sleeping soundly. She was glad, she could do without her scathing comments this late at night. The room was dark and silent with only the small cracks of moonlight that slipped through the tightly closed curtains.  

It was three in the morning, the clock ticked faintly on the wall facing her bed. Time was slipping by, ever so slowly, as she tried to get rid of the feeling of uneasiness the dream had caused her. Her hands shook as she opened her bedside table’s drawer and took out a stack of letters nicely tied with a ribbon. The stack was growing to a considerable size, it had been eight months since she saw Peeta on that train. It almost seemed like a lifetime ago to her. Since then, they had been exchanging letters. 

She brings the stack close to her, and she almost feels him with her. She takes the last letter out of her stack, and with the light of the moon shining through the cracks of her curtains she marvels at his neat and concise script. 

He’s off becoming a pilot, and here she sits reading any letter he sends. Hungry for any crumb of his affection, of his hopes, and dreams.

She falls asleep with the bundle of letters in her arms as the sun begins to rise. She should be up in a matter of minutes. Her lovely roommate would see to that, no doubt. 

Her last thought in those sweet minutes where the world is calm and quiet was of Peeta. 

_ He’s going to be a pilot. _

* * *

“Wake up, Brainless!” Johanna Mason blurted out as she shook her leg. She stomped towards the window and opened the curtains, letting the sun burst through the window.

She opened her eyes and blinked as they adjusted to the light and burst out of the bed, half-asleep. 

“Another sleepless night thinking about your lovebird, eh?” Johanna quipped as she looked in the small mirror on the wall. Her hair was short, but still held those pin curls that were just so fashionable,  _ even during wartime _ , Katniss thought. She never found them practical, although they were quite beautiful. She removed the hair clips out of her hair, and out came a bouncy curl. 

She didn’t say anything. She almost thought Johanna knew too much about her history with Peeta, not that there was much to it. Still, she wasn’t sure that her rather forceful friendship was true. 

Johanna didn’t seem to like her, and at times was clearly complacent in showing her disdain. There were other times, she felt as if they were friends. Katniss had told her about her family, and even Peeta. She in turn had told her about her family and how her father had lost his property and lumber business when the Great Depression hit, and even how he was driven to despair. She ran away from home when she was sixteen and has not looked back since. She’s a brave and clever girl.

After Katniss gets dressed in her uniform, a blue jumpsuit, they head out together for breakfast in the common room. The factory is vast not only in machinery and output, but also in the grounds. There are thousands of quarters each with young women just like her working, especially now since all the men are gone. 

The common room is filled with women already, all primed and propped. Many with handkerchiefs wrapped around their heads, their lips blood red. Definitely a contrast to men she thought, the women were proud to show any signs of femininity even if they had to wear these bland jumpsuits. 

“More porridge,” Katniss sighed. She wished there was something else to eat. The last couple of days all they’ve been eating has not done much to stave off the hunger she felt during the night. She wouldn’t mind some eggs and greasy, crunchy bacon. She couldn’t remember the last time she had any meat, if the gamey meat that showed up in their lunch stews didn’t count as real meat. Nobody knew what was in it, and nobody wanted to find out. 

“Now, now, maybe we’ll find a surprise in the sludge.” Johanna laughed as she grabbed a tray and the lady with the ladle, as they called her, scooped up the substance into a bowl and into her tray. They found their seats at the end of a long table where they all shared their meals.

Annie, another girl Katniss has befriended was already in her seat. 

“Morning,” Katniss said as she settled down with her tray. 

“A case of bed hair sweetheart? What’s with that hair!” Johanna pointed to her hair as a way of a greeting. 

Annie just laughed. Her laugh a soft melody that got lost in the vast common room and drowned out in the conversations around them. 

“I’ve been trying something new with my hair.” She responded, her voice soft. Her auburn hair was a little matted, as if she hasn’t bothered to wash and pin her hair again. Annie shifted in her seat and looked distraught, she wasn’t looking at anyone. 

“Annie... what is it?” Katniss furrowed her eyebrows. Annie didn’t blink her blue eyes filling with tears. 

“I dreamed about Finn last night.” Annie said desperately fumbling with her spoon. Her eyes wouldn’t meet hers. “ He… he.. Died. In my dream he died.” she mumbled. 

Her high school sweetheart, Finnick was drafted a couple of months after the official announcement of the war. Annie was devastated and since then she has been fearing for his safety. They were going to get married after they both saved up for a nice house. Annie was living with her aunt after she was sent away when she was only ten. She was born in the west coast and dreamed of the sea,  _ her eyes looked like the sea _ . Katniss thought, not that she had ever seen it, but her eyes were so blue, and sometimes they were green.

“He’s fine. I’m sure.” Katniss tried to reassure her. 

“Katniss is right.” Johanna said as she ate her portions heartedly, “There’s no use in tormenting yourself. He might not be dead or he might. You’ll know soon enough.” 

Annie began to cry, and Katniss tried to comfort her. 

“Johanna!” Katniss snapped throwing her a scowl from across the table. 

Johanna smiled from across the table. “If you both don’t want to be idle then you’d be joining the war effort as well.” She said as walked away with her tray. 

The bell signaling the end of breakfast rung and in five minutes her shift would start. She helped usher Annie towards her station.

* * *

 

Annie felt better after she stopped crying, but there was clearly a distraught look in her eyes. She kept thinking about Johanna’s words. She was right. What was she doing here? She could be of use in some other way. At first she thought that her duty was to her family, to help keep Prim fed and happy. She found herself aching to be a part of it all. She hated the war, but the world needed her more than Prim, she would be safe. She could go north and join WAVES. 

Women in the forces was unheard of, a lady had come from the north and tried to recruit a few weeks back. Most of the women in the factory shook their heads and politely declined. 

“A job in this is enough for me!” a group of girls giggled as they took her flyer.

“I don’t think women are built for fightin’, we’re certainly tough, but that’s a man’s place!” another said as she declined a flyer.

She took one from the woman and went on her way to the post office that day. She found it odd, but she thought that any hands would work just as well in the war effort. 

The rest of the day all her mind filled with possibilities. She couldn’t shake the thought as the other women smoked and giggled with their friends during her fifteen minute break. 

Johanna sat on a bench alone, smoking. Katniss sat next to her as she spread her aching feet out.

“Here to finish me off?” Johanna said probably a reference to their unfinished business. She expected Katniss to tell her off. 

“Surprisingly, no.” Katniss replied. “I want to join WAVES.” 

Johanna’s eyes met hers in surprise. “What? Are you sure?” 

“Do you want to join too?” Katniss responded with a question. 

Johanna smiled, that little mischievous smile. She flicked the ash from her cigaratte and blew out the smoke towards her face.

“Bring it on, Brainless!” 


End file.
